Medic urges state to avail HPV vaccines to stop cancer spread

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A leading cancer specialist in the country has called on the government to avail human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines to public hospitals as a mitigation measure against cervical cancer. Dr Geoffrey Mutuma, a pathologist, said the vaccine was only available in private hospitals and is out of reach to majority of Kenyans whereas it is crucial to preventing the disease.

The medic said in countries where governments have availed the vaccines to the population, cases of cervical cancer are lower. “We recommend that county governments avail the vaccine at a subsidised cost so that it can become a routine vaccination to those at risk.

Women of between eight and 55 years can be vaccinated to prevent them from developing cervical cancer,” he said. Mutuma was speaking at Kerugoya during a cancer awareness clinic where close to 1,000 residents were checked their Basic Metabolic Index (BMI), blood pressure and diagnosed for cancer and other non-communicable diseases. -KNA